Surprises (First of three)
Much can happen in a short time. Is that true only in India? Probably not, but India is full of situations that differ from our norm. And so my daughter Jolie and I had plenty of surprises as we travelled from Delhi to Agra and to Varanasi.

Our Delhi hotel was down this narrow alley off Main Bazaar, a street near the New Delhi Train station. This was a central location for what we wanted to do in Delhi - even though it was a bit of a challenge to find the first time.
This picture was taken as I sat in our hotel lobby looking toward Main Bazaar. The signs show we were not the only business down this alley. There were other hotels, Internet Cafes, small eateries, shops and tailors.
Two items of interest: At the corner of the alley two albino brothers, perhaps teens, fried and sold meats during the afternoon and evening. Theirs was one of many snack enterprises in the area. Right behind them as you first entered the alley were two often-occupied urinals....so, more men with their backs turned thinking they were invisible.



Here is Jolie at a corner on Main Bazaar. The traffic was mostly rickshaws, autoricks, motorbikes, bikes and pedestrians. A car could quickly create a traffic jam. And, as everywhere in India, all drivers of all vehicles used their horns to alert everyone of their presence.
Cows congregated at this corner at night. We were told these cows had owners - we couldn't tell. During the day the cows disappeared...perhaps into the neighborhood for we saw cows scattered about as we explored.... carefully watching our every step. One evening a cow butted Jolie's arm as she passed by. That raised an oohh of surprise from all in the vicinity.


We were up and out by 6 in the morning for our activities, back in the room under the fan no later than 2 and then out again for a few hours after 5 or 6. This schedule was due to the heat. People warned us it would be hot. And they were right. But, I think even they would be surprised how hot it got. April 27 was 42.3/108, a 50-year record. But though the afternoons were scorchers, the early mornings were pleasant. And an evening like this one, with a breeze and a rooftop restaurant, very nice.

We left our hotel neighborhood to see the Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Connaught Place, Lodi Garden and M Block Shopping. We even took a Yoga For Health class at the Moraji Desai National Institute of Yoga. We enjoyed everything but by evening were happy to be back in "our" Main Bazaar locale where we nosed around, ate dinner, and bought our souvenirs. One late evening, too dark for a photo, we stumbled on a local street market where vendors sat like royalty with their goods, mostly vegetables, arrayed around themselves.

Speaking of photos - Jolie will be posting photos on her Facebook site of the Red Fort, Jama Masjid, etc. I'm afraid I wasn't as good at taking photos as she was.

Our last morning in Delhi we squeezed in a street walk with Salaam Baalak Trust (SBT). SBT works to get kids off the streets. Our guide lived on the streets of Delhi at 12 after running away from a tough home life in another city, He's been with SBT several years. He attends classes now and works for the organization. At 21 he thanks SBT for the education he is getting and credits them with his hope for the future.
This photo shows a SBT school for young kids whose parent, and maybe themselves, beg. This school was near the New Delhi train Station. It was one of five programs SBT runs in Delhi.

While we were there we met another SBT success. She's completed beautician training but is thinking of becoming a teacher.

At two o'clock that afternoon we caught a 3-hour train to Agra. Few people travelled with us. I think many people cancelled their travel plans due to the heat. It was hot. We were thrilled to find ice cream in one of the station's snack stalls. We each consumed 5 -6 liters (well over a gallon) of liquid that day - and peed little. The very cold water we bought at the station was very warm in 45 minutes. And when we got to our hotel in Agra our shampoo was just as warm. Thank goodness for the fans in the train and in the hotel. Neither of us care for unknown A.C. units all that much so were happy with the fans. We later heard it was 45.2/113 that day and started to have second thoughts about unknown A.C. units.

Next....Agra and the Taj Mahal